


Bar Fight

by jesuisherve



Category: The Expendables (Movies)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Male Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-21
Updated: 2013-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-27 05:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/974674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesuisherve/pseuds/jesuisherve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barney and Gunnar are casing a location for a job. Somewhere along the way things get more intimate. </p><p>One shot, placed some time before the first movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bar Fight

It was cold. Barney clapped his gloved hands together, hoping the movement would warm them up slightly. Despite the thick, soft lining in the gloves the cold bit deep. Snow was falling, thankfully not heavily like the night before. It was a light dust of white. If it weren't so cold, it would have been pleasant.

A few steps ahead of him, Gunnar seemed indifferent to the cold. The big Swede was not bundled up any better than Barney was. Maybe he could ignore the temperature easier. Barney blew out an exasperated breath and watched it as it froze and curled into the snowy air like steam.

"Just ahead," Gunnar said. Barney grunted in reply. They were casing a bar where their target was supposed to frequent. The Expendables had been hired by a rich business man who had gotten himself mixed up in a drug deal. He wanted them to find and kill the leader of the drug ring. Apparently the target had "sensitive information" about the client, something worse than the drugs.

"Keep focus," Barney said stiffly. The bar wasn't far ahead. Gunnar laughed. Their cover was simple, two friends going for a drink after work. Barney hoped Gunnar wouldn't get too caught up in his part. The last thing he needed was Gunnar getting drunk and ruining eveything.

The bar was fairly busy. The low buzz of conversation was audible beneath music playing on the radio. A tv mounted on a wall was playing a muted football game. Barney's eyes lingered on the scores for a moment. He had bet money against Hale Caesar on this game. It was still too early to say which one of them had a better chance of winning.

Gunnar found them an opening at the bar and leaned easily on it. The bartender took his order with a brief nod. Peeling off his gloves, Barney settled on a stool next to his teammate who remained standing. "Is he here?" he muttered.

"Back left corner, with the woman," Gunnar replied, pulling his gloves off as well. Placing them on the bar, he then grabbed some crumpled money out of his pocket to hand to the bartender when he came back with the Swede's drink. Barney ordered a beer. When it was brought to him he swivelled the stool to look around the bar. The target was sitting at a table across from a woman like Gunnar had said. He looked relaxed. Barney sipped his beer and turned to Gunnar. "That's him."

"We could take him out tonight," Gunnar said quietly.

"No, we stick with the plan."

Gunnar rolled his eyes. Barney gave him a cold sideways glance which Gunnar saw but ignored. They drank in silence for awhile. Barney continued sweeping the building with his eyes. Out of habit he was counting the exits, deciding where they could hole up if they needed, where the high ground was, how they could use the layout to their advantage.

Barney put the empty beer bottle on the bar. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. He gaped at the empty air beside him. Gunnar had slipped away while he was thinking. Barney spotted him, blond head bobbing above everyone else, approaching the target's table. Barney swore and jumped up from his spot. Of course Gunnar would fuck this up! He should have brought Toll Road or Yang instead.

Barney hurried to Gunnar's side, hoping to stop whatever was happening. As he came within earshot, he realized it was too late. The target was mouthing off at the big Swede. "What the fuck is your problem?" Barney growled.

"Is this your friend?" The target snapped. He had risen from the seat and slammed his hands on the tabletop. The woman was pale and kept flicking her eyes between the three men nervously.

"Just have a seat, man," Barney said calmly, "I'm sorry if he caused trouble."

"He has the guts to come up to me," the target spat, jabbing a finger at Gunnar, "and accuse me of being a drug dealer in front of my girlfriend. What the fuck!"

Barney grabbed the sleeve of Gunnar's coat and tugged on it roughly. "He's had too much to drink, I'm sorry. Relax, man."

Gunnar yanked his arm free from Barney's grip. "You are or you're not," he sneered, "you never said no."

"Gunnar," Barney hissed, "stop."

The target stepped out from behind the table. He was red-faced, flushed with anger and embarrassed at being confronted about his drug trade. From the intel the team had received from their client, they knew the target's girlfriend was unaware of her boyfriend's illicit career. Gunnar had really poked a touchy place.

Before Barney could grab his friend again, Gunnar flung himself at the target. The girlfriend screamed. Gunnar swung one of his massive fists. The target ducked in time for it to whistle over his head. Barney shouted "fuck" and dove into the fight. The whole bar was watching them now. From an outsider's view it seemed like a drunken brawl. Barney knew better. Gunnar was aiming to kill. At least he hadn't pulled his knife yet.

Gunnar shoulder checked Barney square in the chest, knocking him out of the way. The girlfriend screamed again, this time calling for help. Barney wheezed, aware that the bartender was yelling too, threatening to call the police unless they broke it up. Barney regained his balance and threw himself at the Swede again. Gunnar had landed few a bone-rattling punches already. The target was bleeding from his nose and an eye was definitely swelling shut. Barney slammed all of his weight into Gunnar which shoved him away from the target and into a wall. Gunnar snarled but Barney stared at him angrily and bellowed, "We're leaving!"

"Barney!" Gunnar shouted. The target had taken the opportunity to grab a bottle from his table. He had it raised. Barney saw a blur of movement. He went to jump away but was too slow. As he dodged, he twisted to face the target and the bottle smashed over his head. 'He threw it,' Barney thought sluggishly as he started to fall, 'thought he'd just try to club me.'

Gunnar watched Barney drop to the ground. Broken glass glittered all over the floor. A few shards were stuck in Barney's hair. Blood was pouring visibly down his face. Gunnar stepped over him, putting himself between his friend and the target. "C'mon," Gunnar barked, "bring it!"

Multiple sets of hands closed on his arms. Gunnar tried to pull away, reacting instinctively. Security had finally shown up. Two guys grabbed the target as well. His girlfriend was talking nonstop, clutching what must have been their jackets to her chest.

"Gunnar," Barney had pulled himself to his feet. Someone, probably a bar patron, was supporting him, "stop being an asshole."

The big Swede stopped fighting reluctantly. The bartender was glowering at them fiercely. "If you all get out right now," he said furiously, "I won't call the cops. Just get the fuck out."

Gunnar and Barney were escorted out a different set of doors than the target and his girlfriend. "I got him," Gunnar told one of the security guards gruffly. He slung an arm around Barney's shoulders and helped him limp down the street. When they got to an alley, Gunnar guided them into it. Barney's vision cleared a bit and he leaned against the alley wall. His head was pounding and it was bitterly cold. "You fucked up," he croaked. Gunnar shrugged an apology. "No, you really fucked up," Barney was angry. Gunnar had done stupid things before but never something that outrageous. He had compromised the entire mission and put them both in a dangerous situation.

"You're bleeding still," Gunnar said sulkily. Barney felt up his face with his fingers. The blood was sticky and cooling quickly. Barney drew his hand away in disgust. Great. Gunnar clamped his face between his large hands. Barney protested but his teammate didn't listen.

"Let me look," he murmured. He used his thumb to push a fringe of Barney's hair out of the way. The laceration from the bottle was in his hairline. Gunnar scooped up a handful of clean looking snow, packed it into a tight ball and started dabbing the blood away. Barney dug a bandana, one he wore to cover his nose and mouth while motorcycling, out of his pants pocket. Gunnar used it to finish cleaning up. He folded the bandana and pressed it against the cut. Barney held it, putting as much pressure as he could stand on it. The bleeding stopped after awhile but Barney wanted to stay where they were for a few more minutes. His head was still spinning.

Gunnar gently brushed the sparkling glass that was still stuck out of Barney's hair. It was snowing again, but the cold had abated somewhat. It wasn't as bad as it was before they had entered the bar. Snowflakes caught in Barney's black hair glistened as they melted. Gunnar didn't brush them away like he had the glass. Instead, he cupped the back of Barney's neck strongly. Barney watched Gunnar suspiciously. He was acting strange and he didn't like it. The big man's bare hand was warm, though. They had both left their gloves at the bar.

Barney saw Gunnar's intention a split second before it happened but did not move to stop it. The Swede pressed his mouth against his in an awkward kiss. Gunnar pulled him closer and pushed him against the wall at the same time. The hand on the back of Barney's neck held him steady. Barney found that he didn't want to stop the kiss. It was nice and he had experienced too much to turn down something that felt good. Gunnar wasn't demanding about it either. Barney was grateful for that. His head hurt, he couldn't bring himself to get hot and heavy. Besides they were in public, even though it was sort of tucked away. And it was goddamn cold.

Gunnar's tongue was warm and strong like the rest of him. Barney darted his own tongue out to meet it. Gunnar tasted like liquor and warmth, if warmth could have a taste. Gunnar closed his teeth over the tip of Barney's tongue lightly. The smaller man moaned quietly, a good sound, but broke the kiss. Gunnar straightened up a little but didn't let him go.

"My head hurts," Barney said.

"Probably." A tiny rivulet of blood had run down his forehead. Gunner wiped it away and tried to kiss him again.

"No," Barney said. As much as he wanted to be kissed again, he felt awful. He knew he should get his head looked at and bandaged. It felt like he needed stitches. Gunnar backed off. He released Barney from his arms.

The smaller man gingerly touched his wound. Gunnar was watching him with a big smile. "What?" Barney asked wearily.

"You're mine, I claimed you," he laughed. "I protected you on the battlefield. Old Viking custom says you're mine now."

"Now I know you're making that one up." Barney complained, "That's bullshit."

Gunnar laughed again. Barney suddenly gave him a hard, clear look. "Don't think I've forgotten your fuck up," he said, a hint of his previous anger creeping into his words, "if you ever disobey my orders like that again or make me look weak in front of the team, you're gone. I'm not treating you special because of," Barney pointed back and forth between them, "whatever this is."

The taller man slouched and bowed his head at the rebuke. He knew Barney was really angry and the next sentence out of his leader's mouth drove a knife-like pain into his chest.

"Don't ever make me regret putting my trust in you, Gunnar."


End file.
